Submitted by Douglas

Barbados (Crane Beach) Comes Up #1 of the World’s 15 Best Beach Getaways for 2015

Two new, non-stop Delta flights, from JFK and Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta, allow easier access to this island paradise. The hard part is choosing among Barbados’s 60 beaches—all of them public. Whether you opt for the calm waters of the west coast, aka the Platinum Coast, or the surfable waves of the east coast, it’s hard to go wrong. And when weary of the rays, there’s plenty else to do, from wreck and reef diving to touring rum plantations to spelunking through Harrison’s Cave.

Submitted by Skiinny Tee

(re-edited)

The leaked Deloittes CLICO Judicial report in 2007 revealed troubling information about a 3 million dollar payment to Thompson & Associates, a law firm which the late Prime Minister lead partner. The revelation a three million dollar payment was made to former Chairman of CLICO Holdings Leroy Parris as a gratuity payment should have raised more debate in Barbados. Further, Thompson acted as lawyer for Parris, CLICO Holdings and there is a godfather role which may or may not be relevant. It says something about Barbadians given our silence on the matter. The three million dollar payment requires an explanation from someone with the knowledge to address it. All are mindful subsequent judicial reports have been sealed by the court.

Submitted by Crusoe

The sun rose through my window, the dawning of a bright and cheerful day, sparrows tweeting, blackbirds singing, doves cooing. After I stretched, I succumbed to the world of technology, grabbed the iPo remote and switched on. The early news roused me more than expected, indeed, startled me into a state of unheralded alertness. ‘The Prime Minister stated that he has enjoyed each and every moment of the last eight years, but believes that the time has come to rest, unlike Napoleon Bonaparte who ‘“had tasted command, and could not give it up”, he can.’

Stunned I listened intently as the reader further expanded ‘ the PM has indicated as April 30 as his last day of office, which shall herald in a bye-election.’ [In other news, the Finance Minister has stated that he is no longer comfortable with leading the charge against the widening economic issues, he has also tendered his resignation from the Cabinet and from Parliament’.

There is so much divisiveness (almost typed derision) in Barbados of late. In the same way an organisation is defined by the quality of its employees and the ability to be productive – the definition is the same for a country. Barbados will only overcome the many challenges it faces if the majority of the citizenry is led to unleash its collective intelligence for the good of the whole. Sadly we are far from this being a reality anytime soon.

Within the government ranks the Eager 11 episode has fizzled to David Estwick versus the rest. The discord periodically played in public by the government betrays the loyalty to the Westminster model of government and its aged old conventions. On the other side of the political aisle we have the leader of the Opposition battling demons as well in the form of former prime minister Owen Arthur tossing political barbs from the Independent side located on the government bench, sacked ‘Leader of Opposition Business’ Kerri Symmonds or the senseless bassa bassa between George Payne and Edmund Hinkson. There is a resignation the Westminster system we have bastardized breeds an adversarial politics. Do not expect any solutions from the political class.

Good to hear the crescendo of calls for Speaker of the House Michael Carrington to step down. Leading the calls is outspoken and widely respected lawyer Andrew Pilgrim QC a former President of the Barbados Bar Association (BBA). BU assumes he was not head of the BBA when the 78 year old wheel chair bound Griffiths filed a complaint in the matter now occupying national attention.

BU understands there is a concerted effort around town to raise monies demanded by the Court Order from ‘pals’ of Carrington, we have no doubt that he will be bailed out. The political class and buddy system always close ranks.

US based Barbadian Actuary Walter Blackman shares his views on the decision by Sagicor to redomiciled from Barbados. Sagicor, formerly The Mutual Society, always evokes emotion in Barbados given its coloured past. There is the intervention by Minister of Housing Dennis Kellman which provoked a caustic response by Sagicor Group Head Dowridge Miller. The decision by the Sagicor board for strategic reasons to sever its tie to Barbados as its domicile questions our capacity as a sovereign country to sustain successful indigenous companies. How will Barbados challenge the hegemony of Trinidad and Jamaica as they cherrypick our best companies? Should it mater? How will our national pride suffer because of it. […]

Submitted by Due Diligence Looks like some things never change. WE WILL REMOVE VAT ON ELECTRICITY BILLS WE WILL REDUCE THE COST OF LIVING ….AND CONTROL FOOD PRICES CLICO IS A SOUND COMPANY UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURE IS CORRECT COST-U-LESS IS COMING SOON THE ECONOMY GREW SLIGHTLY LOUD BUCKS FOR CONCERT FOUR SEASONS PROJECT SOON WE WILL […]

Submitted by the Mahogany Coconut Think tank and Watchdog Group As is customary, we join with other commentators, that review the year and what gains, if any, the region would have made. As much as it distresses us, we are forced to conclude that 2014 brought nothing new to the region and that 2015 portends […]

The Spaniards had a saying that when God wants to punish us, He answers our prayers. There are those who were praying to see the sleeping giant of the Democratic Labour Party awakened. That giant has now been awakened – Prime Minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart We are all human beings and like the more […]

Submitted by Pachamama Barbados is built on the notion of industry. It was, from the beginning, a highly questionable concept. At the atomic level there has been little to undergird it. Maybe it was merely aspirational but serious government could never afford such a luxury. It surely has never been associated with determined, national, long […]

Submitted by Douglas In the interest of the people of Barbados, this Democratic Labour Party administration will remain committed to our goals of restructuring the economy of Barbados. We will also continue to govern by doing what is in the best interest of the people of Barbados. As we go about the process of restructuring […]

When the government (National Insurance Scheme) sold a significant chunk of its shareholding in Barbados Light & Power (BL&P) BU disagreed. When Barbados National Bank (BNB) was sold to Republic Bank we disagreed. When Barbados Shipping & Trading (BS&T) was sold for 30 pieces of silver by the White elite seeking to secure their golden […]

Submitted by Anthony Davis “As education officials put systems in place to hold classes at the Grazettes Primary School at an alternative location next Monday, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) is still waiting for some answers…”President Pedro Shepherd told ‘Barbados Today’ there are still questions about what chemicals were used in the fogging exercise […]

We talk talk about business facilitation, we talk about making government more efficient by rationalizing government agencies charged with revenue collection. We changed aged old laws to employ a US based Barbadian to head the local judiciary – are we satisfied by the progress since his appointment? We talk about building a society and not […]